WLMH build short list set

By Mike Williscraft

NewsNow

West Lincoln Memorial Hospital clicked by another vital milestone Monday with the three teams which qualified to bid on the build project being announced.

Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) announced the three qualifying teams:

• Amico Sacyr Alliance

• EllisDon Infrastructure Healthcare

• Pomerleau Healthcare Partners

Teams were prequalified based on criteria identified in a request for qualifications process that began in November 2020.

Selection criteria included design and construction capability, experience, qualified personnel and financial capacity to undertake a project of this size and scope.

Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff is one of many very pleased to see this step in the process completed

“This is good news for the citizens of Niagara West who are eagerly awaiting the opening of this new hospital,” said Oosterhoff.

“As we progress through these steps, the Government of Ontario remains committed to making sure this build is done in a timely way. I will not stop fighting for an expedited build until the doors open.”

Bart DeVries, HHS’s director of redevelopment, explained what the “teams” on the announced roster means.

“These teams will be invited to respond to the RFP (request for proposals) which will be posted in July. This is the stage where they submit a proposed design and guaranteed fixed price,” DeVries said.
  “The RFP closes in late November and we will evaluate the bids with Infrastructure Ontario. From those bids, we will be able to select the successful team by next spring. Preparing the bids and evaluating them both take time, but this process is still moving full steam ahead.”

DeVries added that, because of the requirements of the WLMH build, those seeking to win the bid have a high bar to meet.

“We are fortunate to have three, high-quality teams interested in this project. WLMH is being tendered as a design-build-finance model. This means that teams will need to have the capacity to design and build the hospital, but also the financing required until they hand over the keys once construction is complete,” DeVries said.

“This model narrows the field of teams who have the capacity to meet the requirements.”

A key part of the build process actually has nothing to do with building, noted Andrew Smith, chair of the WLMH build fundraising committee.

He noted the builder must have the ability to fund the entire build as interim payments for construction are not part of the process.

“The fundraising campaign team is pleased to hear that the successful teams have been prequalified to design, build and finance the new hospital,” said Smith.

“Our campaign planning is complete and we are ready to go to raise the required funds needed to build and equip our new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital.  We look forward to a successful campaign for Taking it to the Finish…Building a Healthy Community.”